Juvenile Probation services provide information to
judges, monitor court ordered conditions and services for children and
their families to increase the chances of successful rehabilitation of
juveniles. Juvenile cases are processed at twelve (12) Juvenile Matters Courts
throughout the state.

Juvenile Probation has jurisdiction for handling cases
of children aged seventeen (17) years old and younger (at the time of an alleged
offense). When making determinations regarding cases, the court has a
responsibility to consider the child’s best interest as well as community
safety.

Types of Juvenile Referrals

Delinquency related Matters -
Juveniles may be referred to court for being charged with violating:

Any federal or state law

An order of the Superior Court

Committing an infraction (if under 16 years old), or

Violating a municipal or local ordinance (if under 16 years old) other than an ordinance regulating behavior or a
child in a family with service needs.

Family with Service Needs (FWSN) - A juvenile
may be referred as a FWSN if she or he:

Has run away from home without good cause

Is beyond the control of a parent or parents or a guardian

Has participated in indecent or immoral conduct

has been truant or is habitually truant

Has been continuously and overtly defiant of school rules

Is 13 years old or older and has engaged in
sexual intercourse with another person 13 years old or older and not
more than 2 years older or younger than the juvenile.

Types of Juvenile Case Handling

Non-Judicial Handling is used for
first or second time summons issued to a juvenile for minor delinquency or
FWSN charges. These charges may be handled informally by a Juvenile
Probation Officer. If the child admits responsibility for the alleged
offenses, and the child and parent or parents or guardian agree to cooperate
with Probation, the Officer may:

Dismiss the matter

Require the child to make restitution or perform community service

Place the child in a program for treatment and supervise the child for up to 6 months.

Approximately half of all juvenile cases are handled this way.

Judicial Handling - Cases handled by a judge when:

A child is not willing to admit responsibility for having committed a minor offense and the child and parent refuse to
cooperate with probation

More serious charges are involved

The child has admitted to being delinquent twice before

The child has a prior Judicial adjudication for either delinquency or being a child from a family with service needs
(FWSN)

In these cases, the child goes before a judge, may
have the services of a public defender or defense attorney and a prosecutor
(state’s attorney) is involved in the case. Approximately half of all
juvenile cases are handled this way.

Types of Dispositions / Sentencing

Charges can be:

Dismissed

Nolled (“Nolle” is short for a Latin term “nollo
prosequi,” which means "no prosecution". It is where the prosecutor
agrees to drop the case against the child but keeps the right to
reopen the case and prosecute at any time during the next 13 months. The
nolle is entered on the court record and the child is released from
any further court involvement. If the child stays out of trouble during the 13 months, the
case is removed from the official court records and the police remove
the case from their records.)

Additionally, juveniles adjudicated as FWSN or delinquent may be:

Placed on FWSN supervision

Placed on Probation, or Vocational Probation/supervision

Ordered to take part in community-based programming

Ordered to make restitution

Participate in community service, or

Committed to the Department of Children and Families

Juvenile Probation OfficersJuvenile Probation Officers are involved in all FWSN,
and delinquency cases both before and after the case is decided.

Before a case is decided an officer may supervise a juvenile if the Court orders it. After a case is decided
or if the child admits to specific charges, officers:

Complete assessments

Write Pre-Disposition Studies, and make
recommendations for conditions of probation, program/services referrals,
or placement away from the community.

Supervise non-judicial cases.

Once cases are decided and a child is placed under
court orders or conditions of probation or supervision, Juvenile Probation
Officers monitor the juvenile to see if the he or she follows court orders
and conditions. Juvenile Probation Officers may also arrange for additional
services for juveniles they monitor or supervise and sanction juveniles they
monitor or supervise if they do not follow the conditions of their probation
or supervision. If a juvenile does not follow the conditions of his or
probation or supervision officers remain involved in additional court
hearings as well as make recommendations on the case.

In addition to the standard juvenile probation
services the Court Support Services Division has created several specialized
units to address the specialized needs of different populations that enter
the courts. These specialized units are:

Low risk - Juvenile Probation Officers interview
children charged with minor offenses and supervise low risk offenders who
are placed on either non-judicial supervision or on probation by the courts.

Gender responsive – Juvenile
Probation Officers are assigned to each court location, and manage
a caseload of 25 girls referred to the court for delinquency or FWSN or
both. Each gender officer has extensive training in the specialized
needs of girls, the effects of trauma, special education advocacy, family
mediation, and holding girls’ group meetings.

Early intervention - Juvenile
Probation Officers
manage the cases of juveniles twelve (12) years old or younger who are referred
to the court for either delinquency or FWSN. These officers have
specialized training in early child development and work closely with the
Department of Children and Families.

High risk/gang involved –
Juvenile Probation Officers manage cases of juveniles referred for serious juvenile
offenses and gang involvement. Officers have extensive training in
gangs, officer safety, and firearm identification. Clients
referred to this unit are placed on longer terms of probation, up to 2
years, and receive multiple services including cognitive behavioral,
educational support and vocational services.